2018 Cultural Heritage Digitization Awardee

Alcorn State University

Proposed Collection

Forever Alcorn: Stories to Be Told

Collection Significance

Alcorn State University, the oldest public black land-grant institution in the United States, was founded in 1871; and has educated many descendants of formally enslaved Africans. Therefore, this historical legacy has created a collection of documents that portrays the activities of the facts and figures of the historical development. This collection consists of yearbooks, college catalogs, history books, alumni publications and civil rights events.

Community Significance

This history should be preserved and accessible to the local, state, and national communities. This project will promote the history of black land grant education in the South, both successes and oppositions that students faced while attending school. Originally, Alcorn only admitted males in 1878, but later admitted women. Therefore, it is imperative that the millennium students understand the transition of the education in the state of Mississippi even through the civil rights era. Civil rights also existed on the campus of Alcorn State.

Benefit to Institution

This project will broaden the scope of the university and expand the visibility of the University by promoting access to digital resources online for researchers. This collection will highlight items that have been long forgotten or rarely discussed and provide the millennial students a historical review of the origin of the university, including a unique look at the campus from the perspective of current or former faculty, staff and students, and those who helped make the university what it is today.

Collection Format

Materials include college catalogs and yearbooks; which sizes range from 10 x 12.5 and 13 x 10 respectively.

Copyright

No special permissions required; materials are public domain.

Timeline

Metadata and project timeline includes all activities and milestones with appropriate personnel assigned for project completion.

Notes

Well thought out reasons for digitizing particular items including historical significance and research interest. Long-term strategic preparation for the growth and development of the archival collection, including securing funds to continue the digitization process. Alcorn has a rich history that is beyond words and expression and it has a story that needs to be told through the life and times of those who have walked the path that led to its great success.

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